Would You Light My Candle?
by Orlissa
Summary: Second part in my nostalgic almost-series. Little Harmony one-shot written in 2008, originally in Hungarian. Inspired by a song from the musical RENT


**A/N: **Part two in my nostalgic almost-series This was written in early 2008, when I was 15, and my RENT-obsession was at its peak – the whole one-shot is based on a scene and a song from it.

What did I improve in the three years between The Most Beautiful Day of My Life and this one? Well, it has a real plot – I mean, there's really something happening in it. My characters has real reactions, even though they are not that realistic yet. The story and the characters are a still little shallow, but definitely improving. Still, i had problems keeping the story on track - like in a movie, when the ditor is lazy, my candle kept disappearing and reappearing :D Also, somehow - I don't know why - originally it happened in the twin's room. Even though I later reffered to the place as "the attic room" - but I fixed these mistakes.

Also, I was written around the time when I started writing in English

This one is proof-read, but un-beta'd on purpose – just like TMBDoML.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing – J. K. Rowling and Jonathan Larson – may rest in peace – do.

**Would You Light My Candle?**

There was a pleasantly cool, late summery breeze around the Burrow. The fog has almost completely disappeared for the night, and the stars surrounded the half-moon like small, silvery dots on the deep blue material of the night. It was almost midnight, yet there were some in the house who didn't seem to be able to go to sleep.

Harry was sitting in Ron's bedroom in the Burrow's attic, his Firebolt and broom care kit in his arms. He had to do something with his hands, and polishing the perfect shaft seemed to be the most acceptable option. Then suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He put away his broom and got up from the bed he was sitting on, grumbling a little. He was sure that it was Ron on the other side of the door, returning from his little "hunt" in the kitchen, his hands full of his "prey" – better known as food. He had left about ten minutes ago, when, in the middle of their discussion, he stated that he was about to starve.

"What the hell-" He started, but stopped mid-sentence as he opened the door. Because it wasn't his redheaded friend standing at the threshold, but Hermione. She was wearing pajama pants made of some light material and a sleeveless shirt; her hair fell to her shoulders in tangles. Harry couldn't help it, but he forgot how to breathe for a moment when he saw the girl.

"Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask if you might have some matches?" She held up a candle. "I'd like to read, but my candle has gone out. I don't think that Mrs. Weasley has any matches, and I don't dare to use magic." She said.

"Of course, come on in." he opened the door wide. "I am sure there's a box of matches somewhere." He said, and with that, he started to search through the drawers of the bedside table. He knew that the girl was standing behind him; he could feel her gaze on the back of his neck.

"You can't sleep either?" She asked after a few moments.

"No, I…" He turned to Hermione. Only a moment of eye contact was enough to discourage him from lying to her. "Okay. I can't." He turned back to the drawer. "Ah, here it is." He held up a tiny cardboard box. He walked up to Hermione, picked up a match from the box, lit it, and held it to the candle. When the wick caught flame, he looked up at Hermione. He smiled at her lightly, which she returned eagerly.

"Thanks." She said, then suddenly she lost her balance, and tumbled forward. Harry caught her shoulders quickly, before she could have fallen on the ground, and helped her back to her feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked with a worried tone in his voice, as he helped her to the bed.

"Of course, it's… it's just that I haven't fully recovered from Dolohov's curse yet, that's all. It's nothing, really" She added, seeing the boy's concerned eyes. Uncomfortable silence fell upon them. Harry took a deep breath to say something, then changed his mind, and let it out. Hermione did the same, but it only resulted in an unlit candle.

"Wait a minute, I'll help." Harry said, and taking out another match from the box. As he lit the wick again, he looked into her eyes. The emerald irises almost lost into the brown orbs. Suddenly, it was like the world ceased to exist around them. It was a completely perfect moment, until…

"Ouch!" Cried Hermione.

"Be careful, the wax's dripping." Harry simply couldn't help but smile upon seeing the girl's face. She was cute, almost like a little schoolgirl, as she took her injured finger between her lips.

"Don' laugh a' me, 'Arry!" She warned him sternly – at least it was supposed to be stern.

"I'm not laughing." He chuckled, which earned him a playful punch on the arm from Hermione.

Somehow, even if only for a few moments, they forgot every trouble, problem, the threatening shadows of the future, everything. It was like they got back to their childhood, even if only for a few minutes.

After Harry didn't stop chuckling, Hermione put the candle down on the bedside table, picked up one of the pillows, and started hitting the boy with it. He tired to defend himself, but in the end it resulted in him laying on the bed on his back, Hermione laying on him, while they were tickling each other like crazy, and praying silently that no-one would open the door, and find them this way.

After a few minutes of fighting, Hermione rolled off of Harry, laughing and panting at the same time. She looked at he friend laying next to her, who was readjusting his glasses, while chuckling as well. Then she sat up, and was about to leave. She was afraid that if they kept up this playing for much longer, it would lead to something else entirely, but she didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing.

She felt like their relationship had been shifting, changing ever since what had happened in the Ministry. The only thing she couldn't decide was that if she should be glad for it or not. They have gotten closer, that's for sure… Or it was just her who felt this way? Maybe she was just thinking too much into the situation. Of course, both of them needed the other one, they felt free, they felt great in the company of the other. But it's just friendship. True, deep friendship. Right? Of course, there is that strange, light, yet disturbing feeling she always had when she was near him…

It doesn't matter. It's better to leave the things the way they are. She stood up finally, picked up her candle and started to walk towards the door.

"Thanks for the fire. Goodnight." She said. As she was leaving, she started picking her earlobe, as it was an old habit of hers. Usually, this helped her to calm down – even though she didn't know why should be she anxious now. Scratch that – touching her earlobe, she knew why she should be. Hew earring was missing. That little golden earring, which she got from her parents when she first left for Hogwarts. She quickly took a one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn, which only caused the candle to go out again.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, seeing her face. He stepped closer, and bringing out a new match, he re-lit the candle.

"My earring has fallen out." She bit her lower lip "It must have happened when we were wrestling. It has to be here somewhere…" With that, she put the candle down, went down all fours, and started to search through the floor. After a few moments Harry joined her, but even after long minutes, their search was unsuccessful. But, let's add this, Harry quite enjoyed her company, even though he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone. Secretly, he was even glad that the jewel went missing – this way, he'd won a little more time to spend with her.

After a few minutes' worth unsuccessful searching, Hermione started to get worried. By that time they had looked all over the attic room's floor at least three times, but couldn't find the earring.

"Don't worry, we will find it eventually. It will just suddenly turn up when we give up searching for it." Harry said, as he sat down on Ron's bed. He leaned back, supporting himself with his hands behind his back, and looked down to the girl, who was still sitting on the floor. But as soon as his hands reached the duvet, he felt something tiny under his palm. He stole a glance there, and there he saw Hermione's earring shine in the dim moonlight. A little, surprised sound escaped from between his lips.

"What's that, have you found it?" Hermione asked with hope in her voice. Harry weighed the options in his mind: he could tell her that he had found the earring, and the she would surely go to sleep. Or he can lie to her, tell her that he had found nothing, and play with her for a little longer.

"No, it's just a chess-piece." He said finally, slipping the jewel into his pocket unnoticed.

Hermione frowned her brows. This look, which Harry was wearing, was rather familiar to her… Usually, he wore this when he was up to something… she only needed a moment to understand what was going on. She smiled slyly. Well, two can play this game.

"I see." She looked around the room theatrically. "I don't think we could find it in this darkness, anyway. I am sure it will be found tomorrow. Then I think I am going to bed. Good night!" With that, she stood up, picked up the candle again, and headed for the door. She felt rather smug upon seeing the disappointment on the boy's face.

"Wait a minute! We will find it! It's only matter of minutes… really." He stepped closer to the girl.

"Oh, really?" When the boy was close enough, she tried to reach behind him, to get the earring from his back pocket, where she assumed it was. Harry took advantage of her movement, and put her candle out. The message was clear: 'I am game.'

"Oh well, look, what did you do to my candle?" Said the girl and mimicked indignation.

"Sorry." Harry said, smiling without shame, even though it was barely visible in the darkness of the room. "Well, I would light it again, but the last was my last match." He said, and with that, he sat down on the bed again.

"No problem." She shrugged. "Fortunately, we still have the moon. As soon as our eyes adjusted to the dark, we will continue the search." And with that, she sat down as well.

"What kind of search, exactly?"

"My earring's, of course! You said yourself that we will find it." With that, she rested her head on the boy's shoulder. Any other time she wouldn't have dared to make such an intimate move like this, but now it seemed so evident, so normal. Even that felt nice when Harry hugged her shoulder with one arm. She didn't even register, neither did the boy, that their fingers – as if they had their own will – entwined. They sat like this in silence for long moments, then Harry spoke up.

"You hand's cold." It was a simple statement, yet it broke the silence.

"Yours too." She answered, and softly drawn her fingers along his palm. "And they're big… at least compared to mine." She put her hand into Harry's, stretching her fingers, just to compare how much bigger his hand was. "Yet, it's so soft, almost graceful… a little bit like my father's." she said, and while she was talking, she remembered that her earring was still hiding somewhere in Harry's pocket. And that she had yet to get it back somehow, and to do so, she first had to make him stand up. But how?

Led by a sudden idea, she stood up, pulling Harry with herself.

"Come on, let's dance!"

"But there's no music!" Harry laughed.

"There is!" Hermione said. "Here it is." And with that, she placed her hand on his chest, right above his pulsing heart. She looked up at the boy – he was nearly a head taller than she was – and even in the dim light she saw him blush. She took her hand away from his shirt quickly, and a little bit scared, realizing what she was doing. It made her blush too.

"So… we are dancing." Harry said finally, a little bit flustered, then offered his hand to Hermione

"Yes… we are dancing." Then, instead of taking the offered hand, she flung forward, as if she wanted to hug him, but her real goal was his back pocket. Until this point, her plan worked perfectly. But then…

The whole thing happened in a blink of an eye. As she leaned forward, Harry caught her by the waist, pulled her to himself, and kissed her on the lips.

At first, Hermione was a little bit scared, and wanted to pull away. But the boy's lips on hers were so soft, his chest against hers so warm… slowly, she started to relax and enjoy the kiss. She hugged the boy's neck, pulling him even closer to her. The world seemed to stand still around them; it was only the two of them what mattered, and the perfect moment. But like everything, it had to meet its end.

"Sorry mate, mum made me-" Ron stormed into the room without any kind of warning or knocking. The pair pulled apart faster than they would have thought it was possible. "Oh! Oh…" A sly smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "Well… Then I think I'll sleep with the twins tonight. Good night, guys, and be nice!" He winked, then backed out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, the young couple sighed in unison.

"So…" Harry started.

"So…" Hermione said, as she looked up at the boy again. As their gazes met, they both let out a little nervous laugh. "I think we will have something to discuss."

"Tomorrow."

"Yes, exactly. Tomorrow." Hermione looked down at her feet in her embarrassment. "Well… then good night, I think." And with that – for the umpteenth time that night – she started to walk towards the door.

"Wait a minute!" Harry said, and grabbing her hand, he pulled her back and placed a light kiss on her lips. "Good night." They smiled at each other, then the girl finally left the room. Then Harry, the way he was, all dressed up in his everyday clothes, laid on his bed.

On that night – both of them knew it all too well – something had changed between them for ever. Something, what would bring so many joys in the future – and they were happy for it.

That night, both of them fell asleep with a smile on their lips.


End file.
